Moving to Devon. Please talk to me.

[cakefortea]

My dh an i are considering moving to Devon. Our main priority is settling our 2 dc age 7 and 4. Ds is currently in year 2 and dd is in year R at our local primary, both happy and settled. My dh and i feel like a move but i don't know if it is irresponsible to move the dc. Any ideas on child friendly areas with happy local school would be really appreciated.

[MotherPanda]

Totnes - south devon - is a gorgeous green 'alternative lifestyle' transition town where I had the pleasure of spending the last few years of my life.

it's in a valley, with a river and the Dartington village (2 miles from central Totnes) primary school is excellent and has a new building. www.dartington.devon.sch.uk/ there is also a good secondary school www.kingedwardvi.devon.sch.uk/

links between Plymouth and Exeter are excellent for commuting, shopping- trains, roads and buses. the sea is 10 miles away. there's a real active community feeling - crime is very low. Plenty of local organic veg (this is where Riverford farm are based)

I think it would be a fantastic place to raise the children - plenty of parks, walks and green spaces. house prices are reasonable too, the local university college closed a couple of years ago, so there has been excess housing.

Right - there's my pitch! Feel free to ask me any questions.

www.totnesinformation.co.uk/

[cakefortea]

Thank you so much for your reply. Totnes sounds like an amazing area and possibly just the type of place we were looking for. I am looking forward to reading all about it.

[RunningAllDay]

Devon is lovely! We moved here 18 months ago when kids were 4 and 6. I would suggest that you spend a week down here exploring as there is a very big variety of places, both very rural (Dartmoor and north Devon), semi-rural in some of the towns, and 'urban' (well, as urban as you can get in Devon - Exeter, Plymouth, Torquay). Do you like the sea?

Not knowing you, your kids, your preferences or your situation (e.g. do you need access to work, or transport links? do you need to buy a property?), it is impossible to suggest a specific place, but there are primary schools nearly everywhere, many of which are lovely village schools in real communities, where I'm sure you and the DC could make a very happy home. Check out the Ofsteds, visit the schools, and visit the villages/towns to figure out what you like. After spending two weeks on holiday here, we decided on the basis of landscape (prefer the gentler rolling hills, rather than the supersteep!), proximity to the sea, and access to a great village primary and in the catchment for a great secondary.

Good luck, and if you have specific questions, am happy to address, like the poster above. Don't worry about moving the DC - it is not irresponsible if it is the right decision for your family. It takes a little while to settle in, but they won't look back - and nor will you!

[maverick]

Well, Exeter is about to get the only John Lewis store in the SW [hgrin]

[VilePile]

Please check the spaces schools have available before you move, several families have moved here (Newton Abbot) lately and have found no spaces at their catchment area school.

[PavlovtheWitchesCat]

I would agree Totnes has an excellent community spirit and the local school that everyone wants to send their children to is amazing. I know several people who send their children there, it is progressive while being linked closely to the environment has forest school linked with them etc. However, you need to look closely at admissions as it is a highly sought after school so moving there does not necessarily mean your children will get in, so check out that you would be happy with the other local alternatives as a back-up.

[ben5]

My parnts live in Denbury near Newton Abbot and it has a god primary( went there to many years ago myself to!) Coombeshead in Newton Abbot or any school in Totnes